Mortal Beloved
|Season = 1 |Antagonist = Atyminius |Setting = Underworld |In-Universe Date = Year 1 |Production # = 76919 |Filming Dates = November 1995 |Original Air-Date = |Written By = R.J. Stewart |Story By = |Teleplay By = |Directed By = Garth Maxwell |Order in Series = 16 of 134 |Order in Season = 16 of 24 |Order in Franchise= 50 of 304 |Prev Episode in Series = "Warrior... Princess" |Next Episode in Series = "The Royal Couple of Thieves" |Prev Episode in Franchise = "Let the Games Begin" |Next Episode in Franchise = "The Apple" |title cap image = }} Xena crosses the River Styx to the Underworld, in order to help Marcus in stopping a madman from destroying the Elysian Fields. Summary as a ghost warns Xena of trouble in the Underworld.]]One night, the ghost of her beloved Marcus appears to Xena to ask for her help. He tells her that the Underworld has been thrown into total chaos and that good souls are in danger. Xena follows his instructions and dives deep into the Alcyonian Lake to gain entrance to the Other Side, leaving Gabrielle behind to wait for her return. When she arrives on the shores of the River Styx, Charon confirms that the wicked now have the run of the Elysian Fields, while the innocent are suffering in Tartarus. He ferries her across the river where she rejoins Marcus and witnesses the evil that has overrun Paradise. Marcus explains that the dead madman Atyminius has usurped Hades' power by stealing his Helmet of Invisibility and that Hades is now confined to his palace. Questioning Marcus, Xena realizes that he was put among the wicked when he died. She is therefore quite moved by the selflessness of his request for help in restoring order to the Underworld. Suddenly, the brutal Atyminius himself appears with the golden helmet strapped around his neck and proclaims his plans to go among the living to resume his old hobby of murdering brides. Smelling mortality in the crowd, he hones in on Xena and commands the wicked to kill her, but Xena cleverly incites rebellion among the assembled evildoers, inspiring them to fight Atyminius for possession of the helmet. A bloody free-for-all ensues and in the confusion, Xena and Marcus manage to escape. As Gabrielle waits by the shore of the Alcyonian Lake for Xena's return, Xena and Marcus head for Hades' palace. But before they can enter, they must fight their way past two vicious harpies. Xena grabs a torch to stop one of the hideous flying creatures with a dazzling bit of fire-breathing and rescues Marcus from the deadly tail of the other. When they finally confront Hades and Xena relates Atyminius' plan to continue his killing spree, Hades notes that once the madman returns to the land of the living wearing the Helmet of Invisibility, he will become mortal again and can be killed. Furthermore, when he dies, the helmet will not return with him to the Underworld. Harboring a small glimmer of hope, Hades agrees to allow Marcus to become mortal again for 48 hours in order to help Xena pursue Atyminius. Meanwhile, the invisible madman has emerged from the Alcyonian Lake to return to the realm above. Removing Hades' helmet, he suddenly materializes in front of Gabrielle, threatening her with a knife. Though terrified, she puts up a valiant struggle to fend him off until Xena and Marcus emerge from the Lake and save her. They attack Atyminius with their swords, but he quickly dons the helmet and disappears. When the three bed down at a campsite for the night, Marcus and Xena finally get a chance to express the depth of their feelings for each other. As Xena, Marcus and Gabrielle continue their search for Atyminius the next day, they learn of an impending wedding celebration and sure that the ceremony is Atyminius' destination, they hurry to it. There, Xena convinces the bride's father that his daughter's life is in grave danger and proposes that she replace her in the pre-wedding bathing ceremony. When the beautiful young bride walks in on their conversation, Xena explains the situation while the invisible Atyminius listens in. That night, Atyminius steals into the bride's bedroom and is surprised to find Xena -- who was certain he was eavesdropping on her earlier conversation -- waiting for him. But before she is able to get to him, he dons the helmet and disappears. A brutal sword and knife fight ensues, with Xena deftly remaining one step ahead of his blows. Finally, Xena manages to throw a blanket over his invisible form and defeat him. When she and Marcus return the helmet to Hades, Xena convinces the god to judge Marcus again, now that he will die a second death. This time, Marcus is allowed entry into the Elysian Fields. An exhausted but grateful Xena returns to the land of the living, knowing that she and Marcus will one day be together again. Disclaimer :No Winged Harpies were harmed or sent to a fiery grave during the production of this motion picture. Background Information Key Events *This episode marks the first appearance of the Helmet of Invisibility. *This episode marks the last appearance of Marcus. *This episode marks the last appearance of Toxeus. *This episode marks the last appearance of Charon for 110 episodes on . He doesn't appear again until the season six episode "You Are There". **This is also the longest gap for any character on . Trivia *Xena does not use her Chakram in this episode. *This is the first episode of the series that Argo does not appear. Links and References Guest Stars * Bobby Hosea as Marcus * Paul Willis as Atyminius Other Cast * Erik Thomson as Hades * Michael Hurst as Charon * Chris Graham as Toxeus * John Palmer as Traveler * Michelle Armstrong as Young Woman * Geoff Clendon as Bride's Father * Chantelle Brownlee as Bride References People * Xena * Gabrielle * Marcus * Atyminius * Toxeus Deities * Hades * Charon Season Navigation de:Hilferuf eines Toten Category:XWP Season 1 episodes